One At A Time’s mission is to help and support children going through life altering illnesses.

For some of us, being a part of OAAT is a way to reach out to our community, and make a difference in our society, one at a time.

For others, it’s a reminder of a personal experience. Either we or someone we know has gone through a battle with an illness and this is our way of giving back and offering our support to those going through a similar journey.

Below, we will be sharing how each member of the OAAT team personalizes and interprets the phrase “one at a time” and what it means to them.

One Person at Time

Brodi: Founder of OAAT

“I chose person because, to me, One At A Time is the opportunity to positively impact the world little by little, instead of not at all.

As a society, we sometimes get so caught up in all the bad going on, that we forget that we have the opportunity to do good. Although we may not be able to reach a mass amount of people all at once, I feel that if we are passionate about spreading positive energy to every individual we do encounter, that individual will go on to spread that positivity to someone else, and that person will go on to spread that positivity to someone else, and so on.

This then turns into an ever-growing cycle, which over time turns into a mass amount of people that continue to impact others in a positive way, one person at a time.

In June of 2014 I found out my next-door neighbor had cancer.

I was in a big transition point in my life and was having a bit of a hard time, but a concept I couldn’t seem to get over was the fact that I had choices and she didn’t.

I could choose to be a musician, or an actor, or an athlete. My next-door neighbor Sam didn’t have any of these choices while she was in the hospital. It made me realize how much this amazing life we are given means and how we need to make the most of every moment, and I wanted to be able to share that positivity and help make the best of her situation.

Just by giving a helping hand to her, it created the opportunity for so many other people to take the concept and apply it to their own lives and find a way to give back, therefore forming one at a time. It just took helping one person to help others find the opportunity in themselves to live with more gratitude and a giving mindset.

One person at a time means that every time we encounter someone new in life, we have the opportunity to positively impact them in a way that can last a lifetime.

This greatly affects me on a daily basis because I interact with new people every day, and having this mindset is very rewarding. It’s an amazing feeling when you are good to people, and see them continue to spread the good vibes with others!”

One Step at a Time

Andrew: Marketing Director

“I see life as a journey of a thousand steps. All steps are necessary. Every step matters. And each step is required to get to the next one. It takes patience and is the only way we progress in life.

I also believe every step is a choice and within my control. I may have to adjust the direction of my step, but I can always put one foot in front of the other. We control our destiny and it’s made up of all the little daily choices that we make.”

I’ve believed for a long time that we manifest our own destiny, but it wasn’t until recently that I began to understand the patience part. I’m an entrepreneur at heart and from the age of 18-24 I thought I’d be able to build a successful business in a matter of months.

Wrong.

After many failed and frustrating attempts to sprint towards success I finally learned that building something substantial takes years. Depending on your goals it may even take decades.

I keep this in mind every day as I work hard to my goals and towards building One At A Time into a thriving organization that is able to help more and more people.”

One Sunrise at a Time

Letysia: Director of Operations

“I love the idea of waking up with the sun.

The moment the sun is out my body naturally wakes up and I love seeing the sunlight as it starts creeping through my window.

It has become my favorite part of the day.

I get up, thank God for a new day, put some music on and jump right into my morning routine. It’s a new day full of new opportunities.

When I was younger there were a lot of times I’d wake up from bad dreams and then stay up late worrying about everything and anything going on in my life. This was around my 8th grade and freshmen year when my mom’s cancer started to worsen. As hard as I tried to fall asleep my mind would keep racing.

I’d crawl into my mom’s bed and she would remind me that everything would be fine and in the morning, all the things I was scared of or worried about wouldn’t seem so bad. And my mom was always right. That’s when I began to look forward to waking up to the sunrise every morning.

One sunrise at a time means that I have a fresh start every day. The symbolism behind it can mean new life and hope and that’s exactly how I see it. I have the ability to let go of what I was worrying about the night before and be thankful for the many blessings I have in my life. The sunrise gives me hope and momentum to make the best out of each day.”

The symbolism behind it can mean new life and hope and that’s exactly how I see it. I have the ability to let go of what I was worrying about the night before and be thankful for the many blessings I have in my life.

The sunrise gives me hope and momentum to make the best out of each day.”

One Opportunity at a Time

Kaige: Event Coordinator

“I chose to use opportunity because in life there is opportunity that arises and in that opportunity someone (you) has the option to either take it head on or shy away. When they take that opportunity head on they learn and grow in ways they wouldn’t had they not taken the opportunity.

There have been opportunities in my life that I have shied away from and had great regret for those moments because I had made the decision to back away from the road less traveled. Throughout life, I have become less afraid to take on hard opportunities and have learned that even if those opportunities taken have not led me straight to success, my life has grown and I have learned much faster and through those life experiences have grown and learned to take on every opportunity that arises.

It taught me to take chances in life and if you fall, you fall; but most of the time you will succeed and learn from every experience.”

One Day at a Time

Saira: Volunteer and Blogger

“I’ve chosen this as my blank because the phrase “one day at a time” is one of the few things that got me through my cancer battle.

That was a quote my “Campus Dad” told me every day. My Campus Dad, was my sophomore and senior year history teacher in high school. Others knew him as, Mr. Kirk.

Kirk was an awesome teacher, and the first person I ever met, who had survived cancer; twice.

The second time, I was able to be there for him; to support him, to keep him going. Along the way, we became friends (yes, teacher and student became good friends). By the time I had started going to all my doctor appointments and was on the hunt for a diagnosis, Kirk had met my family and he was very involved in my health.

After my diagnosis, it became clearer to me that he wasn’t a friend… but more of a second father figure.

By no means was I replacing my own father… I was just lucky enough to call them both dad! My Campus Dad called or texted me every day, a couple times a day just to keep me company, check in, and remind me of one thing… to take life, “One Day at a Time.”

Some days, I wanted to rip my non- existent hair out just hearing those words, but other days it was all I wanted and needed to hear. It was a reminder, that even though I had rough days during my cancer battle, not every day was going to be rough.

The moment I realized “One Day at a Time” was going to be a phrase that would stick with me everywhere I went, was soon after my first round of chemo.

My first round of chemo, was by far the worst of all; maybe because it was all new to me? Or maybe because I just got used to it all as the treatment process went on, who knows.

My first chemo, I felt horrible. I remember saying, “and people do this all the time? How?”

I laid in my mom’s bed that night, I remember texting my Campus Dad to let him know I had made it home from the hospital that night, and I said, “I don’t know if I can do this for months.”

Within minutes, I got a text back saying, “Yes you can, we all can do this together. You’re never alone. One day at a time.” That night, I held my stomach, and said over and over “One Day at a Time” until I fell asleep. That was the moment, I knew those five little words, meant so much more.

“One Day at a Time,” for me is a reminder. A reminder of the relationship I have with my Campus Dad; a relationship that not many can say they have, one I will cherish and hold dear to my heart forever. It’s a reminder of all the hardship my family and I endured during my cancer battle. And it’s a reminder that a lot of the time, we all focus on a million things that need to be said and done; but we don’t pay attention to the “bigger picture.” We all have goals, ideas, things we want for ourselves; but we never stop and think what we can do today. What can you do today, that will get you one day closer? What’s important right now? “One Day at a time” is a reminder of one of the greatest inspirations I’ve had in my life. A friend/father figure that showed so much love and support to my family and I when we needed it most. It’s a reminder of my Campus Dad, and how far he has come in his own journey of life, living it all ‘One Day at a Time.”

We all have goals, ideas, things we want for ourselves; but we never stop and think what we can do today.

What can you do today, that will get you one day closer? What’s important right now? “One Day at a time” is a reminder of one of the greatest inspirations I’ve had in my life. A friend/father figure that showed so much love and support to my family and I when we needed it most. It’s a reminder of my Campus Dad, and how far he has come in his own journey of life, living it all ‘One Day at a Time.”

We all have a different interpretation of what “one at a time” means to us.

We each have our own motivations, which turn into willingness and passion to support others going through the rough patches in their life.

But that’s what brings us all together.

Campaign One At A Time allows us to put those interpretations in front of us, use those motives, and provide the best support for the children and families out there who are in need of a reminder.

A reminder to take that one step, to wake up to that one sunrise, to be that one person who encourages others to jump on that one opportunity and to focus on day at at time.

https://campaignoaat.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/starfish-philosophy.jpg5301400Saira Barajashttps://campaignoaat.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/header-logo.pngSaira Barajas2017-05-07 09:00:572018-05-18 13:52:00The Meaning of One At A Time